June 2017

DYW Glasgow are delighted to announce Rainbow Room International as Employer of the Month for June 2017. The hairdressing chain prides itself on innovation and growing local talent. They opened their first salon in 1979 on Buchanan Street and now boasts 12 salons across Glasgow, Ayr and Stirling.

In 2003, it launched the Rainbow Room International Academy, a training school to shape the next generation of top hair stylists. The Academy was featured in a BBC documentary ‘Do or Dye’ showcasing the learning journey of its trainees. They have also won a number of awards including Scottish Hairdresser of the Year at the British Hairdressing Awards in London in November and are in the Hall of Fame.

The company recognises the importance of providing opportunities for young people from an early age to inspire them to think about hairdressing as a career. Rainbow Room International have committed to providing two work placements to every school in Glasgow as part of their S4 work experience programme. Pupils attend the salon that is closest to their school and spend a week learning the basics of hairdressing. This is also a great opportunity for staff across the business to inspire these prospective hair professionals.

Since they started this exciting programme in 2016, Rainbow Room International has offered over 160 work experience placements which has resulted in 10 young people gaining part-time employment with the company! These promising new-starts have the chance to move onto a Modern Apprenticeship when they leave school.

Rainbow Room International also employs 70 apprentices across the organisation and believe that investing in young people is part of their success.

More recently, through working with DYW Glasgow, a group of 8 aspiring hairdressers from Cardinal Winning Secondary took park in an industry tour. Cardinal Winning is an Additional Support and Learning Needs school in the east of the city and the young people who visited the salon left with increased knowledge of the Rainbow Room International brand and what a career in hairdressing involves. The school already has a salon within their vocational department and following the tour, a number of these young people have expressed an interest in hairdressing when they leave school.

“Working with young people across Glasgow’s schools allows us to showcase what a rewarding career hairdressing can be. Our academy offers a supported training programme and the work experience placement allow the pupils to get a taste of the Rainbow Room International experience. Our staff enjoy working with the pupils to inspire them toconsider the profession, make them feel like part of the family, observe the latest techniques and help our customers feel special”.